Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-06-18
PIans ana ConspIraoles 81 ~ Time.

------1 ------ NfAA-a a-l--a "a " ~ EA-L-G8
There were, from first to last, no less
than a dozen organized conspiracies to
take the life Of Abramam Lincoln, and
nearly all of them were planned In the
shadow Of the White House. After the
great and good man came to realize
that his life was menaced In this fash
ion he surrounded himself with proper
protection, bat nothing was more bitter
to him than the feeling that he was
obliged to do this. I heard him say
once to Col Baker, then at the head OF
the Secret-service Bureau:
"These Would-be assassins must be
very ignorant people, or else they are
insane They don't seem to realize that
the war would go on Just the same If
President and Cabinet were wiped ont.
Would We be foolish enough to suppose
that the death Of Jefferson Davis would
end the Southern COnfederacy, or that
the rebels in the field would fight with
less energy"
For one year-from June, 1862 to
June, 1861 was detailed on nothing
but cOnspiracies against the President,
and IN that time L discovered and frus-
trated three different plots. I do not
mean to take the credit of having saved
his life on these three occasions, for
only one of the plots might have come
to head. The first plan was to send
an Internal machine to him, and there
were three men in it. We got the ma
chine an hour after it was taken to the
postotice at Cincinnati The second
was plot to abduct him, and that was
blocked by having a guard detailed to
patrol the White House grounds. The
third began and ended with the incen-
diary IRE which consumed the White
House stables.
The Presid ential cOachman was
man named Burke-a faithful and
courageous man, and known to be
thoroughly loyal While in the very
best of health he was suddenly taken
strangely i'll, and no doubt poison of
some sort was administered to him. He
was obliged to resign his position tenn
pOrarily, and it was filed by a man
from Baltimore, who was highly
recommended to the President. but Of
whom our bureau could learn little or
nothing, and that not in his favor. For
three or four weeks L did nothing but
shadow the man and note his every
move. On two occasions 1 found
strange and suspicious men with him at
night, and a search of his room during
his absence brought to light a letter
couched in ambiguous terms and deal
ing with mysterious illusions TO Give
stock now about fat enough to kill. -
On that evening the Baltimorean got
drunk and that was made an excuse to
discharge him, but soon after he re-
turned and set fire to the stables. He
was seen about the stables, he was
heard to mutter threats, he was seen at
the very spot where the flames broke
out not five minutes before they APP
peared. 1 arrested him two hours
after the fire, and when the matter
came into court he had nine witnesses
to swear to an abb. It was supposed
that he intended the conhagration to
draw Mr.. Lincoln out to the stables,
which it really did, and then he was to
find opportunity to stab or shoot him,
but as soon as the fire bIazed up and
the alarm was raised the fellows nerve
failed him, and he ran away. When I
took him into custody he exclaimed:
81 didn't do it, and I can prove I
didn't"
He had a wicked-looking knife and a
single-barreled pistol on him, and some
written instructions as to how to find a
certain mysterious party in New York
City. We couldn't convict him, but he
found it best to leave Washington at
once and to remain away until after the
war.-DetTOjt Free Press.